Bleach Restart: The Thousand-Year Blood War
by Silver-Haired Seireitou
Summary: In a world where Tite Kubo cannot write a coherent and fulfilling conclusion to his hit manga, Bleach, one brave man with oodles of free time ventures to rewrite the infamous Thousand-Year Blood War arc! Join the author through a darker retelling of the savage war between the Shinigami and the Quincy, retold from start to finish, as we give Bleach a proper end!
1. Chapter 1: The Thousand-Year Blood War

**Chapter 1: The Thousand-Year Blood War**

Alarms were going off from all sides, filling the underground laboratory with the ringing of various alerts and illuminated in the flashing lights of the endless monitors that composed the lab's walls. All across the floor, all manner of beings, each dressed in white lab coats, were rushing from one set of computers to the next, all in response to these distressing alarms; each of their voices competing with the sirens.

"102 Hollows destroyed, sector 902-0201!"

"51, destroyed in sector 6603-8983!"

"Adjusting the barrier invasion rate to 0.24!"

South of the lab stood a massive elevator, cranking along, signifying that an individual was quickly approaching the bottom floor. As the gates opened, two persons rushed out onto the lab floor. The Captain of the 12th Division, Mayuri Kurotsuchi, a rather lanky-looking figure in a long white haori, adorned with a flamboyant head gear, along with one of his close assistants, a man named Akon.

"3rd Seat Akon! The Hollows just keep vanishing, one after another!" addressed one of the men rushing about the lab floor, making his way to both the Captain and his aide.

"At this rate, the barrier between this world and the human world...!"

"I've already reported that!" Akon shot back. "If you have no new intel, then back down!"

As the man lowered his head in apology, backing away, Akon turned to his Captain with a distressed expression.

"Captain..."

"Yeah." answered Mayuri. "It can only be them... and them alone."

-THE END APPROACHES!-

-THE FINAL HOLY WAR!-

-WE NOW CHARGE INTO BLEACH'S FINAL ARC!-

The Human World.

Karakura Town.

Midday.

With the sun coming down, the usual school day had drawn to a close for the high school students of Karakura Town; some stayed behind to attend to their clubs, others went home or joined their friends for some sort of activity, while others went off to attend their afterschool job. Ichigo Kurosaki was one such individual. The orange-haired high schooler, school bag draped over his left shoulder, made his way down the street as he happened upon a small storefront. He proceeded to enter the establishment, his face a reflection of his usual devil-may-care demeanor.

"Hey, I'm he-"

"You're late!"

But the poor boy was interrupted with a swift kick to the face, sending him flying for the street behind him, flat on his back. As he lay there trying to piece together what had just happened, he quickly picked himself up, growling with an angry scowl.

A woman stood at the door, dressed in a simple white and lavender t-shirt that accented her womanly body, though her face seemed like that of a mob boss. Her arms were crossed underneath her cleavage as he shot Ichigo a dirty look. "You were supposed to be here 20 minutes ago. I've got delivery orders comin' out the ass, just sitting here! I don't pay you to dilly-dally, you know!"

"Hmph..." Ichigo muttered, rubbing the spot on his face that met Ikumi's brash heel. "Not like you pay me all that much."

"What was that...?" sneered Ikumi, sending chills up the high school boy's back as he stood quickly at attention. "Nuh... Nothing, ma'am." he quickly shot back.

Within moments, after being proverbially dragged through all the tasks she had waiting for Ichigo to attend to, the orange-haired boy lifted up one of the boxes that was marked for delivery. He usually went through an assortment of odd jobs, ranging from standard housekeeping, to the occasional delivery, such as today. Going through the boxes, Ichigo noted a rather peculiar name; one that he recognized.

"...Ishida?"

Ikumi rose an eyebrow at the mention. "Yeah. That one's for Karakura Hospital. Some doctor named Ishida requested it. You know 'im?"

"Well, ah..." Ichigo pondered. Of course he knew this package was obviously meant for Ryūken Ishida, the director of the hospital. He was well-known in the town, practically a local celebrity, for being the youngest director of Karakura Hospital in its entire 200-year-old history. But Ichigo didn't know him, per se; rather, he was friends with his son, Uryū. "I suppose you could say that."

He was greeted with a brief flashback to when he first met Uryū. A surviving member of the Quincy, a tribe of spiritually aware humans that possessed the power to create bows and arrows from the spiritual particles in the surrounding area, Uryū confronted Ichigo initially with a seething hatred for his Shinigami heritage. Though they eventually became friends, that difference between them, the fact that they came from two different worlds that could not see eye-to-eye, always left a wall between the two in some sense of the word. Little did Kurosaki know at the time, or even now... but the Shinigami and Quincy had a strained history of bloodshed and hatred.

Over a thousand years of conflict, the two factions were at war over one hot topic: Hollows, the scourge that threatened all manner of living being. Due to the Quincy's power that would destroy the souls of the Hollows they slayed, in contrast to the purification that the Shinigami bestowed upon them, the balance between the material and the spiritual realms was unstable, threatening the collapse of both worlds as they currently existed. Talks were had, but no agreement was ever reached. After all, the Shinigami had to stop the Quincy from killing Hollows in order to prevent the balance from tipping, but the Quincy, naught but humans with a massive target sign on their backs for Hollows as a result of their spiritual gifts, needed to fight in order to survive.

In the end... no agreement could be had.

Over centuries of debate.

And 200 years ago, to the date...

The Shinigami finally massacred the remaining Quincy in the world of the living.

But that was in the past, hopefully, and the friendship between Ichigo and Uryū perhaps spelled a time of new beginnings; a chance for the Shinigami and Quincy to finally reconcile their differences.

Waving farewell to his boss, Ichigo darted off in the distance to bring the package before night would hit. It wasn't much of a walk, at least to a high schooler like Ichigo, as he made his way lazily up toward the hill overlooking the hospital. But a familiar screech, which penetrated the quiet air of the twilight between afternoon and evening, drew Ichigo's attention upwards.

Though it was faint, there was no mistaking the figure of a Hollow; the black eldritch entity which scoured the land for souls to devour, recognizable by its white mask like that of a human skull. Normally, Ichigo wouldn't have bothered, but having not sensed anyone responding to this creature's presence, he couldn't just leave it alone to eat innocent wandering spirits.

After locating a nearby building that would allow him access to the roof, Ichigo made his way up until he reached the outside, placing down the package and pulling out a small brown badge from his pocket with the insignia of a skull. This was the badge of the Substitute Shinigami, proof of his connection with the Soul Society, serving the dual function of separating his living body from his soul: his Shinigami self. Grasping the badge, he placed it against his chest, causing streaks of blue light to emanate from his body as a black-robed version of Ichigo stepped out from Ichigo's human body, the latter falling to the ground below, unconscious.

Clad in black, the Shinigami Ichigo drew the massive cleaver blade that he wore on his back, his Zanpakutō which was named Zangetsu, and prepared to jump off from the rooftop in the direction of the Hollow. But before he could lift himself off, a flash of blue streaked through the air and pierced straight through the Hollow, causing the creature to vanish as it quite literally disintegrated. Stopping himself, Ichigo looked out to find the source of the Hollow's defeat, noticing a lean male with short blue hair holding an archer bow composed entirely of light.

But Ichigo only seemed to narrow his eyes with a softened expression in response, as if he knew exactly who stood there in the distance. Within moments, the figure vanished from sight, reappearing on the rooftop where Ichigo himself stood. Upon closer inspection, the short-haired male was wearing a grey school uniform, no different than Ichigo's own, along with a pair of rectangle glasses.

"Should've known. You always beat me to the punch, Ishida. It's starting to get a little annoying, honestly." Ichigo remarked, rubbing the back of his head as he let out a rather irritated sigh.

"It's not my fault you're too lax, Kurosaki. Honestly." Ishida sighed while pushing up on the bridge of his glasses. "Though why are you out here so late?"

"Oh!" Turning toward his real body, he reached for the package, tossing it to Uryū. "This here's for your old man, apparently he requested a delivery from our shop. Mind bringing it to him?"

Taking the wrapped box, Uryū scoffed. "This is _your_ job, isn't it? Not mine. Handle it yourself."

"C'mon, don't split hairs here."

"Ugh..."

"Not like it's out of your way."

"Fine, fine. Geez..."

Turning his back toward Ichigo, Uryū was making his way to depart, before the orange-haired boy called out to him once more.

"Hey, Ishida."

"What now?" Prompting Uryū to halt his steps, though his back remained turned.

"It's not really any of my business, nor do I really care, but..." Ichigo scuffed against the edge of his hair. "Any idea when you plan to return to school? It's been over two weeks. Not like you're sick or anything, right? By this point, even Inoue will beat you out for top of the class. Didn't peg you for the type that plays hooky."

Uryū remained silent for a moment, contemplating the nature of the question, though more importantly, the as-of-yet unknown weight of the answer that Ichigo was seeking.

"I'm not sure, honestly." murmured the Quincy, continuing his advance. "There are... things that need my attention right now."

"Well, you know, I mean..." Averting his gaze off to the side, Ichigo addressed his classmate. "If it's something that we could help you out with-"

"No. It's fine, really. I'll see you all soon, I promise." Uryū interrupted, vanishing from sight once more with a flicker, as Ichigo stood atop the roof silently alone.

But unbeknownst to him... a lone spectator observed him from afar, a wicken grin plastered upon the shadowy figure's face.

—

The Soul Society.

Squad One's Barracks.

Office of the Captain-Commander.

Late afternoon.

He who led the Gotei 13, the Shinigami organization that protected both the human and spiritual worlds, sat at his desk as he overlooked several documents spread out along the top. The elderly male gazed up toward the large doorway that adorned his office space as it creaked open slowly. "Ah, Chōjirō. Come on in." he beckoned.

Out stepped a silver-haired gentleman with a white jinbaori over his black Shinigami robe, carrying a tray that had a large teapot along with several small teacups. "Sorry to disturb you, Captain, sir. I thought you could use some tea to cap off the afternoon." Walking toward his desk, Chōjirō placed the tray against a spot not befuddled with papers, pouring a small amount of the steaming liquid into one of the cups.

"I need you to go to the 12th Division barracks. Captain Kurotsuchi sent word a little while ago regarding a matter needing my attention, I would like for you to go in my place." the Captain-Commander explained, turning toward the tea that his subordinate placed near him. Chōjirō, in response, lowered his head respectfully. "Understood, sir. I'll go there now."

As Chōjirō departed from the office, closing the door behind him, the shadow of a second figure in the hallway was made apparent as he walked away from the Captain-Commander's office.

 _Two shadows encroach upon them...!_

 **A/N:** So, here it is, the first chapter of what I hope will be a series I continue routinely, a revised version of the Thousand-Year Blood War arc in Bleach. What this means is that I plan to completely rewrite the entire arc, from start to finish, because let's face it... The arc was terrible. So many things, so many things wrong with it, I think it'd take longer to state them all than it would to simply just rewrite a better version of the story. I've wanted to work on this for quite some time so I finally decided to go ahead with it. I'm hoping it will be entertaining and eventually grow to become much greater than the actual manga version. With that, I hope you'll enjoy my retelling of the Quincy War arc!


	2. Chapter 2: Call of the Starcross

**Chapter 2: Call of the Starcross**

"I'm quite grateful that you chose to come along without a fight, Ishida Uryū-sama." spoke a male of a considerable height, walking in front of Uryū, dressed in a white military-esque uniform along with a broken mask fragment draped over his left eye. "It would've been unfortunate to have to involve that Shinigami. His majesty would've not been pleased about that." he continued, referencing Ichigo himself when both the latter and Uryū had met atop the building rooftop the other day.

Uryū, who followed at a steady pace with his gaze focused elsewhere, remained silent as they traipsed down the long hallway. At the end, stood a magnificent archway with a door that towered over the two individuals as they stood before it. "Asguiaro Ebern! We have an audience with his majesty!" the male called out. Within mere moments, the gates slowly began to creak open, revealing the large throne room where several similarly dressed beings were standing in attendance.

Both males worked their way toward the center of the faintly lit room, the one who recognized himself as Ebern quickly brought himself down to one knee as he lowered his head. "Your majesty, I've brought you Uryū Ishida, as ordered!" he announced confidently as Uryū himself stood tall on Ebern's left, staring out toward the darkest corner of the room. There, only the bare features of an outline suggesting a moderately designed throne chair were apparent, along with the shape of a long-haired man who sat atop the throne.

"You're dismissed, Asguiaro Ebern." the deep voice of the person sitting upon the throne ordered, the masked male immediately standing up to leave the room, as in tandem, the long-haired individual rose from his throne and stepped out from the shadows, revealing even more of his features. His hair was as black as the shadows that draped over his throne, his face of a worn and aged nature, adorned with a faint facial hair that ran along his upper lip and down to his chin and around, framing his face. From how all people in this area addressed him, he was clearly their leader.

"You cretin!"

The outroar came from one of the several men stationed along the throne room, one with similar mask fragments over his face and his hair sleeked back. "You dare stand before his majesty in such a degrading man-?!" But he was abruptly silenced, an arrow of blue light pierced straight through his head, with the smoke protruding from the black-haired male's extended finger suggesting that he was the cause behind the sudden death. The body hit the ground with a light thud, as he spoke. "I do not recall permitting you to speak, Luders Friegen." the same male added, gesturing to another of the men standing in formation. "Remove that body from the throne room."

Out from the same shadows as that black-haired individual, another male stepped out, one with delicate features and long blonde hair, with a long white mantle over his shoulders. "Yhwach-sama, there was no need to dirty your hands with such riff-raff." he stated plainly, with the leader merely relaying an expression of ease toward Uryū while addressing his subordinate. "Nothing to worry about, Jugram. After all, Arrancar are a dime a dozen, aren't they?" the man named Yhwach answered, stepping out even closer until he stood towering over Uryū. "I do apologize that you had to see that. It's so hard finding Arrancar that have the same etiquette as we Quincy. In the end, all they're good for is battle." Yhwach continued.

"But never mind all that... It's good finally meeting you face to face, Ishida Uryū. Tell me, how is your grandfather?" Yhwach asked, almost as if feigning a genuine interest. In Uryū's silence, accompanied by a brief glance downwards of solemn contemplation, Yhwach's own expression softened. "Oh, I see. So he too fell to the Shinigami. Do not worry, Uryū. You are among your brothers and sisters here, there is no need to-"

"I'm not here to make friends. I've been subject to these summonses for over a month now, threatening to kill my friends and family... and only now do you bother showing yourself." Uryū interrupted, his body position almost seemed as though he was preparing to attack right here and now. No doubt was there a quiet aggression centered in those eyes of his.

"You'd be wise to address his majesty with more respect, Ishida Uryū." Jugram protested, gripping the handle of the blade fastened at his hip in response to Uryū's words, although Yhwach simply rose his hand toward the former. "It's quite alright. I can understand his frustrations. But we share a common enemy, Uryū. After all..." Yhwach flashed a rather malicious smile. "...was it not the Shinigami that brutally killed your beloved grandfather? The Shinigami and the Quincy are unable to coexist in this world. How long before the Soul Society decides to do away with you and your father? Do you believe your friends would care? Do you even believe Kurosaki Ichigo would care... once he knew the truth behind everything? He is a Shinigami, after all. The same as them. How long before he turns on you too?"

Truth be told, these thoughts had crossed Uryū's mind several times before. Quincy are considered beings that could cause the world to end. If his human friends, such as Orihime and Chad, were to ever learn of the Quincy's history and the true reason behind the hostility between them and the Soul Society, would they still care about Uryū? Furthermore, Ichigo had sided with the Soul Society several times before now, even affirming his role as a Substitute Shinigami after the conflict with Xcution. If it was to protect the world from collapse and his friends from dying as a result, would he not eventually seek to cut down Uryū? He tried not to dwell on such thoughts, telling himself that he cared for them, and that they truly were his friends. But in the end, were Yhwach's words really that wrong? Were all these thoughts that Uryū harbored really incorrect? It was then that Ryūken's words came to Uryū's mind.

 _"Never associate with the Shinigami ever again."_

It was hard to say whether Ryūken said this to protect Uryū, knowing what the Shinigami were capable of, or if he too shared the same hatred of them as most Quincy did, refusing to allow his only child to associate with them. In the end, everything about this was confusing to Uryū, he was unsure on almost every level of this situation, but in the midst of uncertainty, he remembered one thing very clearly. His mother. And he knew. He had always known.

This man.

Yhwach, the man heralded as the Quincy King.

It was him.

 _He_ was the one who murdered her.

"...Yeah."

"So what do you want of me then, Yhwach... - _sama_?" Uryū answered, reluctant to use such an honorific for this man, but he knew whatever the situation was or how he felt, he would need to play nice.

"Simple." Yhwach had responded. "You will join my Wandenreich as a member of the Sternritter. Together, we will purge the Shinigami, and soon enough, we will usher in a world where no loved one need die a meaningless death. Imagine, Uryū. Being reunited with your grandfather again. And your mother." Yhwach declared, causing even the tensed expression on Uryū's to lighten immediately, the very thought of such a thing filled him with a very strange sense of calmness and perhaps even joy. "What are you...? What are you talking about?"

"A world without death, Uryū."

"A world where we can all live."

"All of us."

"Even the ones that have already passed."

Gritting his teeth, Uryū felt the need to shout in protest. That was just a misguided fantasy! That can't be possible! That's just ridiculous! He wanted to shout all of that. He couldn't believe his ears. "That's just... But that... It's not..."

"It is, Uryū. It is very possible. But it can only be done if we rid the world of that which is unneeded... Death itself. And in a world without death, reapers... are unnecessary, wouldn't you agree?"

"No. That's just... I can't begin to understand... Furthermore, why me?! How would I even factor into any of this?!" Uryū voiced out, his uncertainties visible in every word he spoke.

"It pleases me that you are not such a fool as to simply accept this decision unquestioningly." Yhwach answered, placing his hand gently upon Uryū's shoulder as if he were like a wise mentor relieving the confusion of his young ward. "However, your judgment is lacking. In the face of everything, you are still alive. Even when all the Quincy in the world fell because of their unworthiness, you alone remained. You are the final Quincy to survive in this world. And it is because of your power, something which seems to even surpass my own, that the vision for a new world becomes possible." Yhwach added, Uryū simply looking up towards him with his eyes widened, trying to comprehend all of this.

 _"My own... power...?"_

"Do not concern yourself with doubt, Uryū. All will be revealed in time. But for now..."

Yhwach, once more, grinned.

"You need only come with me."

* * *

It was another day, just like always, at Karakura High. And just like always, classes went about normally, students sat in the seats they normally did, and for Ichigo, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. But just as it had been for the last month... Uryū's seat was empty. Ichigo sat at his desk, a look of emptiness on his face as he was lost in thought, even as he missed the ringing of the bell signifying the lunch period.

"Kurosaki-kun?"

"Kurosaki-kun...?"

"Kurosaki-kun!"

Ichigo rose his head as he looked toward the front of his desk, where an orange-haired girl was calling out to him repeatedly. "Oh, Inoue... Sorry, did you say something?"

"You seemed spaced out for a moment there. Tatsuki and the others were all heading outside for lunch, did you want to come along?" Orihime asked, holding her own lunch in her hands.

"Oh... Ah, no. I actually didn't bring anything today." Ichigo answered, though with everything that was on his mind, he didn't feel all that hungry in general.

However, Orihime's expression perked up. "No worries! You can share with me!" she responded with glee. "I made a really good lunch today too. Tuna and jam with a drizzle of chocolate sauce!"

"...Eh..." Ichigo seemed more disturbed by the food than about Uryū at that point. "...No thanks. I'm good. Probably even more good after hearing that..." Ichigo answered, leaving that last bit intentionally more soft-toned, leaving Orihime a bit confused as to his refusal. But she knew better than to force Ichigo, simply taking her leave as she too seemed a bit concerned about how Ichigo was acting.

After a moment or two alone, Ichigo growled at himself and scuffed up his hair. "The hell am I doing?!" he stood up rather suddenly, hands grasping his desk. "Who cares what Ishida's doing?! Nothing I can do now anyways! Just gotta keep on truckin', yes sir! I'm gonna go outside, sit in the sun, and have a stupendous, frickin' day, damn it!" he convinced himself, storming out of the classroom in near comic style, but he stopped once something had caught his attention.

 _"This reiatsu... But why?"_

Ichigo started down the hallway, running rapidly toward the first opening he could find.

* * *

A childish scream filled the air, as a young green-haired girl seemed to rush through the skies of Karakura, while being chased by what appeared to be a single individual, dressed in the familiar white military garb as seen before, carrying a bow forged of light. "Halt, Arrancar! Stop where you are, right now!" he demanded, firing a series of arrows that the child narrowly dodged. "Leab me alone, ya jerk!" the girl shouted back, her speech fitting for her young appearance of a mere toddler.

In her attempt to escape, she lost her footing atop one of the buildings she landed, falling face-first with a thud as the soldier caught up to her. "Now then... You will return now or else, you will be-"

Without warning, the soldier found himself on defense as Ichigo appeared with a flicker, slashing his cleaver blade downwards toward the soldier with the latter backing away.

"Of all the...!" the attacker proclaimed, his eyes widening as he saw the orange-haired Shinigami before him. _"No way... Kurosaki Ichigo... He's just as the daten described him."_

"I thought I sensed you, Nel." Ichigo stated, standing between the two.

"Itsygo!" the child Arrancar voiced out with glee. "Nel needs yer help! It'sa real mess!"

"I'll hear you out in a moment... But first." Ichigo answered, pointing his blade toward the attacker. "Just what business do you have with Nel? It's not exactly nice for an adult to bully a little kid, you know."

But without answering, the soldier fired an arrow toward Ichigo, who swatted it away with his sword. "What the... That arrow..."

Yet another series of arrows came rushing in, with the orange-haired Shinigami trying his best to slash them away so as not to let Nel be hit by any of them.

"I have no time to mince words with you, Kurosaki Ichigo. Kindly step out of the way." he demanded, readying his bow for another onslaught.

Ichigo seemed a bit surprised at being addressed by his full name. "How do you know who I am? Are you a friend of Ishida's or something?"

 _"Ishida?"_ the soldier pondered for a moment.

"That bow and arrow you're using... Ishida uses the same kind of weapon. You're a Quincy, aren't you?" the Substitute Shinigami accused, with the soldier aiming his arrow for Ichigo. "I have no time to answer your inqueries. Step aside or be killed, Shinigami." he demanded once more. But Ichigo refused to give an inch.

Just before the Quincy managed to release the arrow, Ichigo covered the distance almost instantly, slamming the edge of his sword's hilt right into the soldier's gut. Trying to catch his breath, the soldier collapsed to his knees, nearly choking for a moment as the bow dissipated into nothingness. "I warned you, didn't I?" Ichigo explained, reaching out to inspect if the man was alright, but once he could breathe easy, he flickered away to make some distance between them.

"You'll regret this!" the Quincy shouted, moving at a quickening pace while kicking off the ground. "I must return to Hueco Mundo, and...!"

"Hey!" Ichigo called back, "Hold it!"

Kicking off the rooftop himself, he gave chase, but it was clear that his Quincy adversary had the speed advantage. "As if a lowly Shinigami could ever surpass the speed of our...!"

"I said..."

Spoke a deepening voice, a dark tone composed of two voices flowing into one another, as Ichigo flickered right overhead, his face covered in a white mask with obscure black markings.

"To _hold_ it!"

Grabbing the Quincy by the face, he propelled him downwards, sending him crashing against the pavement below, nearing overturning the concrete in the process. Once the smoke from the debris cleared, the soldier had lost consciousness, laying there in the rubble. As luck would have it, he didn't fall in a busy part of the town, though god help the city worker that would have to end up repairing the damage Ichigo just caused.

"Whew... I might've overdone it a little." Ichigo remarked, removing the mask as it vanished in a wisp of spiritual energy.

"Itsygo!" called out Nel, who was trying to keep up after the two of them, nearing out of breath.

"Nel, are you-"

"It's big trouble, Itsygo! Hueco Mundo... Hueco Mundo is...!"

 _Just what is going on in Hueco Mundo...? Meanwhile, in Soul Society...!_

 **A/N:** So, still keeping strong, I'd say, with the second chapter. Finally got to reveal Yhwach, so I'm happy with that. Something to note, "daten" is German for data. I know that it's a rather obvious word and people who've read the manga already know the Wandenreich use this term a lot, but I figure it should still be mentioned anyways. In addition, I do want to confirm that, yes, that mysterious guy at the end of the first chapter who was stalking Ichigo and Uryū, that was indeed Ebern. And he's still alive! I know, right? I haven't done away with him yet. Key word: yet. Just as a side note, the last part with Ichigo, it wasn't entirely necessary, I'll admit. I sort of threw that in there to appease a friend of mine who has wanted to see the mask make a comeback. And I'm nothing if not a man of the people. Nothing suggested that Ichigo couldn't still use the mask after regaining his powers, especially since the core of his Shinigami powers are Hollow-based, so I figured, why not? I think that about covers it for author notes… Next chapter, yes, we go back to the Soul Society to touch on the second mystery stalker from chapter 1, so be sure to look forward to that.

Anyways, I hope this chapter came out alright, I'm always happy to hear thoughts on my chapters, so be sure to leave a review for any chapters already out or future chapters as they are released.


	3. Chapter 3: Coming of the Storm

**Chapter 3: Coming of the Storm**

Chōjūrō Sasakibe was a prompt man, not prone to dilly-dallying as most of the lieutenants were known to do. When he was given orders, he followed them to the letter, even if they were something as simplistic as going off to meet with another Shinigami, as per Yamamoto's request from before. Whatever the reason Mayuri needed to see him, he made a point to be quick about it, dashing from Seireitei street to street with a composed swiftness.

Yet... something had spooked him.

At some point during his leaps from the street, he stopped abruptly in his steps and turned toward the darkness behind him; his hand firmly grasping the edge of his hilt. "Show yourself!" he called out, his body tensed. Perhaps even from the moment of departure from the First Division barracks, he could tell he was not alone, but he was unable to sense anything. _"Was it just a figment of my imagination...?"_

Though it took a couple moments for the lieutenant to regain his sense of self, calming himself down, he removed his hand from the sword's handle. But that was a grave mistake. Something his stalker was apparently awaiting.

From the cloak of the shadows, a sole arrow of blue light shot out at frightening speeds. Its target? The lieutenant.

Even while relaxed, Sasakibe was the most experienced of the lieutenants; the sole vice-captain to stand before his Captain since the beginning of the Gotei 13. All it took was a slight kick-off to narrowly dodge the path of that arrow, before actually drawing forth his blade and adopting a stance.

In the same darkness where the arrow had birthed, a lone figure began to step out, covered in a cloak of white that reflected the black that was the evening that fell on this late hour. "I expect nothing less of you... Lieutenant Chōjirō Sasakibe. Such masterful technique" the stalker spoke, with a definite masculine voice that was only supported by his rather bulky build.

With his eyes narrowed, the lieutenant held his sword at the ready. "Who are you? You are not a Shinigami... and you do not have the presence of a Hollow or Arrancar... What are you doing here?!" Sasakibe spat. He felt unnerved by the fact that he could not feel any reiatsu pulsing from this intruder, despite the fact that just mere seconds ago, he had employed a spiritual arrow to attack him. Even if he was concealing it, why was it that Sasakibe would not have noticed a burst of reiatsu? A shockwave? Something? Anything?

"Pierce, Gonryōmaru." the lieutenant spoke with a forceful authority, a subtle wisp of electric charge ran down the length of the blade as it shifted from its eastern katana appearance to a western rapier. Holding the blade straight upwards, in front of his chest, Sasakibe lowered the blade forward and pointed it toward the intruder as his knees both bent down a bit; assuming something akin to a traditional fencing stance.

The stranger couldn't help but relay a soft snicker. "I see... But do you really think that'll be enough, lieutenant Sasakibe? After all, you have a level beyond that, don't you...?" he mused, holding up his right hand as if to prepare for an opening move.

Sasakibe knew what he meant, of course. The Bankai, a Shinigami's trump card. It was true, Sasakibe was one of the few lieutenants to, not only possess one, but had also mastered its power. His Gonryōmaru was a melee-type, despite being a lightning-type, and as such, it only had any effectiveness in close-range combat. But as he witnessed before, his enemy could fire arrows, with significant power and speed too. The lieutenant doubted if he was able to close the distance and engage the opponent without being injured. He knew his opponent was egging him on, but unfortunately, Sasakibe knew the best course of action was to use his Bankai, which did grant him access to long-range attacks.

Scowling at his opponent, the lieutenant resigned himself to what he considered the safest bet. He gripped the blade's hilt, tilting the rapier upwards as it emitted an intense lavender glow. "Very well then, intruder. You asked for it! I shall deal with you using this. Ban... kai!" he announced, the soft aura beginning to flow outwards at an accelerated rate.

But something was wrong.

Very wrong.

And Sasakibe knew it.

Almost suddenly, the aura dissipated as Sasakibe stood there, rapier in hand, in sheer shock.

"Wha...?! What happe-...?"

...

A loud thud, the cracking of cement, like a body hitting the street.

And a malicious chuckle.

As the cold night descended on Soul Society.

* * *

The gates of the Captain-Commander's office opened slowly, drawing the attention of the wizened Yamamoto that sat at his desk. Before he could question it, the figure of a rather lanky individual wearing a superfluous head ornament along with a white Captain's haori stepped to the forefront of the office.

"Captain Kurotsuchi. I was not expecting you, I had already sent lieutenant Sasakibe to meet with you at the Division Twelve barracks." the elder Captain explained.

Mayuri retained a stern expression, one riddled with seriousness, as he approached the desk. "Well, this couldn't wait, dear Captain-Commander. There's something we need to discuss."

Raising his eyebrow, the elder Captain slowly sat up, looking straight up at Mayuri. "Something that cannot wait until morning, Captain Kurotsuchi? After all, it-"

"Two days ago, I mobilized members of the Twelfth Division and ordered them to kill twenty-eight thousand citizens of Rukongai." Mayuri declared, cutting him off abruptly; a cold and stern tone carried his words into the Captain-Commander's ears, causing the latter to tense up a bit with his eyes narrowed.

"...What exactly are you telling me, Captain Kurotsuchi?" Yamamoto questioned.

As he raised his hand up, curling his fingers into a fist as he did so, Mayuri glared back at the elder Captain. "While the consequences have not been clear enough for the common Shinigami on patrol, there have been an increase of spatial disturbances in the world of the living. Though it is all but confirmed, this is most likely due to the recent decrease in Hollow populations in scattered areas of both Hueco Mundo and the Human World. To date, an average of sixty-five hundred Hollows have been eliminated daily for over a week now. And suffice to say, we're beginning to see the problem such an occurrence. In other words... the disturbances." Mayuri explained, his facial muscles relaxing a tad.

"In order to balance them out, I ordered the execution of at least twenty-eight thousand Rukongai citizens. As we expected, the spatial disturbances started to decline after a while. But as of an hour ago... they started up again." he added.

Yamamoto stood up fully this time, staring directly toward Mayuri. "...Considering the circumstances, if you had simply asked for permission, you would have received it. Was such a rash move necessary? Such things are beneath you, or so I thought, Captain Kurotsuchi."

"If I had waited, the situation could have gotten worse. Knowing how you and the Central 46 operate, requesting permission and waiting for said permission would have been a hassle. An annoying hassle."

The elder Captain scoffed softly. "I understand the urgency, but if the Department of Research and Development were faster in reporting and dealing with the issue, the proper measures could have-"

"No." Mayuri shut down.

"Don't even try blaming us for that. This is all on you, dear Captain-Commander. The signs were always there. From the moment I informed you of this possibility... How long ago was that again?" Mayuri, almost in a joking manner, pondered, before gazing back at Yamamoto with that same serious glare. "When that ryoka, Uryū Ishida, first invaded the Seireitei along with Ichigo Kurosaki, I knew that presented a simple conclusion: that something like this might happen. You deemed it a groundless fear, and chose to dismiss it, but look at the evidence now!" the Captain shot back, raising his right hand out to his side.

"Hollows disappearing, not just moving on and reincarnating."

"Spatial disturbances, the balance between worlds tipping."

"This is them, and only them! There's no other answer!"

"Just stop it now!" Yamamoto roared.

"Stop shying away from reality! Have you gotten **soft** in your old age, perhaps even **senile**?!"

It was clear the usually-collected Mayuri was now engulfed in a momentary burst of rage. Who would ever talk to the Captain-Commander in such a way, and expect to live afterwards? But there was no mistaking the meaning of those words, and Yamamoto knew it.

"It's all because... you failed to kill **that man** a thousand years ago."

* * *

"And... that's the gist of it, I reckon~?" spoke the airy voice of a particular well-known man who wore a signature green and white hat.

Nel could only nod frantically, as Ichigo, who sat beside her, simply observed with a rather irritated look. Though he didn't exactly... hate this man before them, he knew better than anyone: Kisuke Urahara was a difficult man to work with, confusing to boot, but damned if this man wasn't the guy with all the answers. But there was no mistaking that they needed Urahara for something like this.

"So that's how it is, Urahara-san. What do you make of it?"

Despite that eccentric tone, Urahara's face softened as seriousness washed all the humor away. "To be honest, I can't say I didn't see this coming. I've also been noticing some strange things happening lately. In particular, there have been a severe lack of Hollow presence in Karakura Town. Now, normally I'd consider that a good thing, but the sad thing is, that good thing most likely has a very bad thing that's causing it. And it doesn't seem like we can ignore it." Urahara remarked, slowly standing up as he made his way toward the door, Ichigo turning to face him.

"Well, no choice then."

"Huh?"

"We're gonna have to pay a visit to Hueco Mundo."

 _To the world of Hollows they go! Just what will they find there? Why did Yamamoto fail to kill "that man" a thousand years ago? And what happened to lieutenant Sasakibe? All things are coming to a head... starting next chapter!_

 **A/N:** Yeah, I'm back. After... wow, four months? This chapter is a tad shorter than I wanted it, but I got the point across. This is all for the purpose of setting things up for the events to come. Setting up for things shouldn't take too much longer so do stick with me until we get there, because I promise I have some really interesting plans in the works. I'll try to get the next chapter out more promptly, hopefully no more four month breaks. At any rate, look forward to the next chapter!


End file.
